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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: leaves · chest · nail · bear · bowl · pitcher · prune · lie

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — to recline
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. chest — of your body
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. chest — a box
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. chest — of your body
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. prune — to trim
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. bear — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com